The Steamboating Forum

There's an all too brief article on page 23 of the July-August 1962 edition of "Steamboats and Modern Steam Launches" (Elliot Bay Classics III) about a 40' X 10' X 5'6" replica of "Fish," a Coos Bay passenger ferry, named the "Pamela Deare." The article show a topside elevation profile and a photo of the vessel nearing completion. She was being built by a fellow named Dick Fortier, presumably in the Pacific Northwest, but the article doesn't say where.

Being fascinated by the looks of her, I've been searching around and discovered that a fellow in France built a model of her.



There's a video of the model on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... ht-DR9tN6M

There's apparently an outfit in France that is, or was, selling plans for this model. http://www.modelesreduit.fr/france/star ... 133932.php

The older I get, the more I realize that there are a lot of people who weren't even born in 1962, but I'm wondering if any of the old geezers in here like me remember her and know anything of her history after the 1962 one page article in Bill Durham's short-lived magazine... how did she perform? What were her power plant details, and so on? Is she still with us?

Pamela Deare burned at her moorings sometime in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Requiescat in Pacem. Destroyed most of the machinery, including the Atlas Imperial engine she had been fitted with when the owner was told that the 40' foot rule meant "as meansured over the sheer".

What a shame to learn of her demise. I take it then that the owner installed an "antique" Atlas diesel in her from the outset because somebody told him she was over 40' and couldn't operate under steam without a USCG licensed operator? What does 40' "over the sheer" mean, anyway? I would have expected "40'" would mean 40' between perpendiculars, correct?

Hey, don't diss Atlas Imperial's I have one in my boat and while not a steam plant, is an antique and fun to operate, with lots of external moving parts to oil and watch.

Had a set of rocker arms from an Atlas triple in the shop last year for new bushings. They are somewhere on the boundary between steam and modernity.

Hi Mike,

Mine is a very early Atlas built in 1929, 6 cylinder, 8.5"bore X 12" stroke, 160Hp, 4086 Cu. In. The only one of it's size left (there are 2, 3 cyl in mueums) and in it's original boat (check my avatar). Here's a video of it running for those interested, and more on my channel.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYC3BHDl ... 7Q&index=9

Keith

keith
I live in the middle of the Columbia river. As a kid we would lie in bed at night listening to the tugs towing log rafts and identify them by the sound of the engine. You could even tell one Atlas from another since each had it's own unique cadance with always one dominate cylinder to count the beat. Running full they would sound almost like a dog panting. Now they don't tow logs any more and the tugs just growl the same. Bottle that sound you might be able to sell it.

Drying my eye

Dave

There is a theory (mine) that most Scandinavian dance music whether 2/4 3/4 or 4/4 is inspired my listening to marine engines.

The classical composition Pacific 231 by the Swiss composer, Honegger, was inspired by a steam locomotive. There was even a French film, also entitled Pacific 231, set to that work with great shots of steam trains.

Here's one collection of movie clips set to the piece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfysyex_DAk
A nice mix of European and North American rail shots, modern and period.

And here is the original French film. Sound not so good but some of the only train to train footage I've ever seen. I don't recognize the valve gear at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKRCJhLU7rs

Turn up your sound and irritate your family.

So many blues compositions that include steam engines and their whistles that I have no idea of them all.

Something about locomotive whistles or their valves that can lend them to playing a tune. Wish I knew what it is.

Our marine power seems rather sedate. I wish someone had recorded the sound of a western rivers stern wheeler working hard. Should have sounded like a two cylinder locomotive working hard at very low speed. Mark Twain describes it as Barking.

Mike

boatbum wrote:Hey, don't diss Atlas Imperial's I have one in my boat and while not a steam plant, is an antique and fun to operate, with lots of external moving parts to oil and watch.

Sorry... It wasn't me... this forum automatically prints "diesel" when you type "d.i.e.s.e.l."

Dave,

It's a small world, my boat was built in Portland, Ore. and cruised the Columbia many times in it's working life. She was the first iron and diesel powered boat for the USGS and made all the charts everyone uses of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands back in the late 20's and 30's. Yes, Atlas's do have a dominant cylinder and have a cadance all there own, music to my ears. I love the video of the stack sound at 100 rpm...took...ta...took.

Guess I should record those sounds at differing rpms and put out a cd, Sounds of the mighty Atlas Imperial

Hope you checked out the other videos on my channel, some great engine sounds at 100 and 225 rpm, as well as the lifters working at those speeds. Fun stuff.

Keith